Five of Clubs takes the cake as the chicest hotel lobby bar that you'll find in Portland. Gorgeous…read morebar and variety of different seating (comfy chairs, bar seating, large community table), this spot is a great place to go for casual drinks or a nightcap. It's likely best for 2-3 people and not suited for larger groups without a reservation for the sofa seating. The have a set of signature cocktails and seasonal cocktails that rotate. The functional mocktails were surprisingly delicious. I've had the Amarelle (green tea, cherry) a few times and love how refreshing and tart it is. Regarding food, looks like they give the menu a little facelift to keep things interesting and some of the items I've had (like the charcuterie) are currently not on the menu, so check before you go! It's definitely a light bites type of place versus a full dinner. I've enjoyed the lighter fare that I've had in the past!

Blown away by the quality of food and drink at Five of Clubs! I had the bread & butter board, kale…read moresalad, bistro burger, and maple vanilla cake-- it's too hard to pick a favorite! As for drinks, we tried the espresso martini, the Wilde gray gimlet, the sea cook, and the five of clubs. The espresso martini and a good balance of espresso flavor, and the gimlet was my favorite drink of the bunch. The service was awesome, they were attentive and gave great recommendations on the menu. This is the perfect spot for a date night or night cap happy hour. It's very cosy, doesn't feel like a typical hotel bar! Can't wait to visit again.

We had a group of 5 walk into Supper Club right when they opened on a Saturday. We were immediately…read moregreeted by a wonderful host and told they did have quite a few reservations but we could sit in the back room if we wanted to. We actually really liked lounging on the couches out back so that was no problem for us. We ordered a few appetizers like the focaccia, bean dip, and wings. I honestly wasn't expecting much but i was really impressed with the snacks here. The wings were incredible, the flavor was amazing and the meat was cooked absolutely perfect and just fell off the bone. The focaccia was fluffy and the bean dip was a surprise favorite dish for everyone. It reminded me of a hummus and was really tasty. I ordered their espresso martini and really enjoyed the flavor in this, i liked the use of rum instead of vodka. My friend got the automatic love which was the standout favorite cocktail for us. The drinks were thoughtfully crafted and really well balanced so this is a great new cocktail bar for portland. I can see myself stopping by again soon to try more things! My only question would be for the reservations. We were told they had a lot and could only sit us in the back room but they were still pretty empty when we left so I'm not sure what was going on with that. But the service was exceptional and we were happy nonetheless!

This is the best new cocktail spot in Portland…read more And, y'know what, I'm not sure anything else like it actually exists in this city. I think superficially it might *seem* like there are other comparable cocktail lounges, but Supper Club is in a league of its own. For me, it's one of the top three experiences I've had in the past ten years easily (and I'm not even sure what the other two are right now). Where to start? 1) This is possibly the most amazing staff in Portland. Genuinely friendly, thoughtful, engaging, patient, warm... and never artificially so, never saccharinely so, never showboaty so, never "I'm cooler than you" so (which is the prevailing attitude of bartenders in this city right now). From the host, to the multiple bartenders, to the kitchen staff we interacted with? WOW. Thank you for making us feel so welcome and, yeah okay, for making me believe in this industry again. 2) The space itself is super cool. It's got like multiple different personalities depending on where you sit. 3) The snacks are exquisite (kitchen closes at 9pm, heads-up!); and, there were so many vegan options. As of writing this, the focaccia (the best I've ever had, please don't skip this), the heirloom bean dip with crunchy rainbow veg (the dip is such a rich, generous portion!), and both the pickle plate and the cabbage rolls are veggie friendly! 4) The drinks, the drinks, the drinks. I don't think you could go wrong with anything here. And, because the staff is exceptional, they can give you good, helpful information about flavor profiles on anything you have questions about. Like it juicy, spicy, savory, stuff, fizzy? They got a drink for you. Cheers to you, SCCL! You're doing something real special here.

My wife and I stopped in for a night cap last night and got seated at the bar right away. We ended…read moreup chatting with the bartender, Matt, who was super cool - happy to chat about drinks, sports, and everything else we had to throw at all. Super cool dude and his counterpart serving tables was equally friendly and down to earth. The place was welcoming on the inside with sort of an open concept kitchen kind of vibe, with lots of outdoor seating as well. Ever on the prowl for a fun cocktail bar, we were excited to check out a place that was a James Beard nominee (though the last one was in 2017 and the accolades seem to all be 4+ years old at this point). My wife opted for the Pimm's Cup. We don't really have Pimm's by us so it seemed like a fun thing to try. It was a really refreshing and flavorful drink with some fruitiness and acidity. Really tasty and well-balanced. After speaking with Matt, I shared with him my love of rum, to which he responded by sharing with me a creation he's been tinkering with that is currently off menu. It was a really fun rum drink with some Jamaican (actually Fijian) funk, a little fruitiness, a little acidity, and just a touch of bitterness. It was a really enjoyable drink with lots of layers and really refreshing after a hot summer day. All in all, a really cool place to check out and have a beverage or two. Definitely going to get that rum-infused espresso martini next time too!

This place needs more stars ... it's a 5+++! Super cool vibes and decor. Not a huge place, but…read moresuper intimate with some dining space. Bathroom smelled lovely with their own candle scent that had to buy one. We sat at the bar and we were waited on by some super terrific employees. Beyond friendly and attentive. They make the ambiance of the place so inviting and welcoming. Impressive service. Ordered a Pisco Sour and a Hot & Dirty martini. Both fabulous. Then, ordered the pickle plate and the popcorn along with some oysters (hello happy hour menu - great options). Don't skip the popcorn. It's so good. Oysters and pickles were tasty too. Also ordered Finnish meatballs (highly recommend) and the mushroom toast. Everything was delicious. Terrific flavor profiles and portions were perfect. Finished with a lemon trifle which was great. Don't care where you are - make it a point to experience what this place has to offer. You won't be disappointed.

Pulled into Portland for lunch on our way to the lake and gave East Ender a shot. From the outside…read moreit's very underwhelming but inside it's got a cool vibe and the food was incredible. Service was good too. Had the classic smash burger and can genuinely say it was one of the best burgers I've ever had. It was smashed super thin, had the melted cheese and sauce just right. Also there was something called rock potatoes, for a side, which were fantastic. Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed.

If you're reading this because you're looking for a karaoke bar in Portland, Maine. Log off, you…read morefound it. THE BEST. Tiny but mighty fun!

i have been to ruski's a dozen times years ago, but haven't returned until recently. beth and sean…read morewere great and hospitable as always! they gave us a birthday shot for coming during a birthday weekend, thank you! i never tried fried haddock for breakfast but was really impressed. fresh fish, good portion of eggs, perfect homefries and toast. the french toast was could have been slightly cooked more, but everything was great overall. their joe malone is a great pregame start to the day and they have excellent mimosas! just enough: 5/5 galley breakfast: 5/5 french toast: 4/5 joe malone: 6/5 ruski's is a gem dive bar that has the perfect hangover breakfast. there's always a crowd! ambiance: 5/5 food: 5/5 drinks: 6/5 service: 5/5 ruski's tavern: 5/5

This place has been a Portland staple for as long as I can remember. The first time I came here was…read moreabout 12 years ago after a night out, and I still remember having one of the best brunches of my life. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that my second visit wasn't until just a few days ago. This place is truly special. They've kept their prices reasonable, the food is absolutely delicious, and the staff are some of the warmest, most welcoming people around. Even the customers add to the charm -- such an interesting, genuine local crowd. What an amazing neighborhood spot. I definitely won't wait another 12 years to come back.

Sat at the bar. Service was pleasant and efficient, interior was beautifully decorated, warm and…read morecozy. Nice drink selection, though would like more Indian inspired cocktails. A wonderful addition to the Old Port by the owners of Taj Indian Cuisine.

Just stumbled across Silver Street by Taj by accident and Wow! It felt a bit like walking into dark…read moreand mysterious bar from the past. So unexpected. The bartender was friendly and offered solid suggestions for drinks. I went with the Violet Night with Goldie's gin. It was smooth and subtle and tasted like summer. It was a brief stop but will be back for new drinks and to try the menu

Not what I expected, but pleasantly surprised. Our next stop on our bar crawl parade brought us to…read moreRosie's. I have never been here before, even though I have lived here all of my life. Cool spot, friendly staff, the provided taco was tasty as well. Very bright with their large front windows. Will have to come back and check Rosie's out on a regular night.

Food was beyond excellent. honestly, when walking in did not think they were going to have great…read morefood we decided to stay and give it a chance it had fantastic fantastic food. From the clam chowder to the lobster mac & cheese do the chicken quesadillas to the hamburgers. We're all fantastic and very flavorful. The clam chowder did have corn and a little bit more of a Mexican flavored taste, but was still excellent. The hamburgers were so beyond juicy and moist 10/10 would recommend. The lobster mac & cheese was amazing. There was just a little bit of crumbled breadcrumbs on top. It was more of a stove, top creamy mac & cheese not a baked breaded mac & cheese, which I love. They had an OK beer selection maybe about 10 to 15 beers. They had a great dart set up if you wanted to play darts. They also had great TVs for watching sports. The atmosphere was very casual great for large parties was not very busy on a Saturday at 6 PM . Service was very nice and attentive and not overly friendly .

Best burger and fries in Maine! I've been going to…read moreWoodford's for years, and it is consistently great. We hadn't been in over a year, and we had a reason to celebrate...our 21 wedding anniversary. As usual, we loved it. Both my husband and daughter got the burger and fries and again we all agreed it is the absolute best! This time we tried a few items we hadn't tried before...of those, our favorite was the Chickpea Panisse which is a the "sides" section of the menu. I think it should be elevated to the appetizer section! The waitress described it perfectly...it is a Parisian street food, and it is sort of like a falafel in shape, and it is fried like a falafel, but it is made of slightly spiced smooth chickpeas, so it is not course like falafel. It is served with a harrissa sauce on the side. It came with 3 puck size pieces. The flavor, the texture and the sauce all went perfectly together. So good! We also had the smoked fish pate which came with house made giant potato chips. The fish was trout, and apparently this changes based on the day. It was also fantastic! As my meal, I got the steak tartare and although technically I think it's in the appetizer section, the portion size is more like a meal. It is as absolutely perfect. Dressed with a slightly sharp dressing with capers and an egg yolk, and on the side the same house giant potato chips. It is fantastic. I've had the steak tartare here before...it see it as a special treat. First because there aren't many restaurants that serve it, and second because it isn't something I would make for myself at home. I highly recommend! Check out the pictures of it. If you've never had it before, this one is served French style where the steak is chopped up into tiny pieces. Another favorite was the sparking lavender lemonade which is very refreshing, slightly sweet, and flavorful with lavender scent and taste.

Easy place to get an easy local flair. The service is attentive. We started with the deviled eggs…read morewhich were amazing with the spicy mustard. The Croquet Madame was superb. And we topped the night off with the Pink Squirrel dessert martini which was off the hook!!!!